Persons training for athletics and undergoing physical therapy often include work-outs with weights to increase and speed their progress. To meet this need, wearing apparel has been developed that incorporates weights into various designs. By inclusion of the weights in the garment itself, the wearer enjoys further benefits from the added resistance.
An example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,694 entitled Exercise Apparel and Weight Packets issued to Conrad Daoud et al. Therein, a garment is disclosed that includes a vest, pants, spine strap, belt, wrist bands, ankle bands and weight packets. The weight packet includes plural rows and plural columns of weight members that are installed in pockets; the pockets position the weights about the wearer's body. The placement of the weight is solely maintained by the snugness of the garment's fit to the wearer's body.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,596 entitled Conformable Weighted Conditioning Garment issued to Brown et al discloses a garment in the form of shorts that provide a plurality of pouches in thigh encasing leg sections. It is explained that the leg sections of the shorts are secured to the wearer's legs above the knee by adjustable belts located in hems at the lower extremities of the leg sections. The conforming nature of the garment and the way in which the weights are snugly gripped within the pockets ensures that the weights do not move relative to the wearer's skin, and do not bobble or shift as the wearer runs or engages in other physical activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,117 entitled Exercise Garment issued to Fairweather discloses belted shorts having pockets into which weights may be deposited. Straps are connected between the weighted pockets and the belt loops so that the load of the pockets is supported by a belt, and not the garment itself.
Each of the above referenced patents disclose weighted garments that increase the resistance experienced by the wearer. None of the patents, however, disclose the utilization of construction materials that support the weights by resisting stretch in one direction while accommodating it in a generally perpendicular direction thereto. Nor is a garment disclosed that provides additional support for the individual weights through the use of stretch resistant straps that are incorporated into the body of the suit. The straps distribute the load of the weight across the suit, as opposed to having the load concentrated at the weight's location. Still further, it is not known to provide rubber coatings at the surface of exercise suit components for resisting relative slippage between components of the garment and items attached thereto.